Sta-Sta-Statio: Sadio Mane Has Leveled Up Per Stats

Liverpool FC’s attacking band is among the best, if not the single best, in all of world football. Very few defenses can speak to being able to keep these three off the scoresheet. Doubly so if you’re looking at just how hot all three have entered this season, carrying over the form that lead both Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah to be co-winners of the Premier League golden boot along with Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubamayeng. Roberto Firmino has also been in prime form, winning a Player of the Month award recently to affirm his good play.

But Sadio Mané’s form has been the one that a lot of people have been talking about of late. In fact, I recall a conversation I had with fellow TLO scribe Audun and our friend and TLO hall of fame CStars about Sadio. We were gushing over the form of the three but pointing out that Sadio seemed to have hit a second gear headed into this season. That all of his work has culminated to an extra verve in everything he’s been doing.

Audun, as per usual, struck a rather prescient chord when he tied the threads of our convo into a solid thought: that Sadio was not only one of the best in the world per the play, but that Sadio himself finally believed it. It’s the only way to explain the audacity of some of the things he’s attempted in play. How difficult some of his strikes have been. And how, despite the quality of such strikes, he’s made it all look so easy.

Today, the official site released a short report on Sadio in honor of the Senegalese forward notching his 50th Premier League goal as a Red. In it, they reveal that the stats of his appearances this season in the Prem all match what we’re seeing on the pitch. Namely, that he’s increased the number of goals per 90 and increased his chance creation. Now, these are generally surface-level stats and not the more interesting stats that give a clearer picture of how big of an influence a player like Mané might be having.

Still, it’s nice to know that his performance is not just an illusion in that we are seeing something real and something special. Sadio’s form, along with the rest of his attacking co-horts, is one for the ages. We’d all do well to sit back and enjoy the very, very special show.